It has come to our attention that Internet scam artists are targeting buyers in real estate transactions.  Within days of a scheduled closing, buyers are receiving an email that appears to come from either their real estate professional or closing agent that indicates there has been a last minute change in wiring instructions and instructs them to wire money to a different account.  If buyers take this bait, they could lose substantial sums.  REALTORS® may wish to tell their clients that they should seek verbal confirmation of wiring instructions and to secure that verbal confirmation via a verifiable phone number, not a phone number included in the last minute wiring instructions email.

NAR Article: Sophisticated Email Scams Targeting the Real Estate Industry

FTC Article: Scammers phish for mortgage closing costs